Pre-Law

“Taking difficult courses from demanding instructors is the best generic preparation for legal education.”

This is the advice of the American Bar Association (ABA) Pre-Law Committee. In accordance with this ABA guideline, the University of Indianapolis offers a rigorous undergraduate liberal arts education.

Students often ask what undergraduate major is the best preparation for law school. However, the ABA “does not recommend any particular group of undergraduate majors, or courses, that should be taken by those wishing to prepare for legal education.” For this reason, students graduating from the U of I who are admitted to law school have a wide variety of undergraduate majors, including political science, history, philosophy, English, the social sciences, and business.

How do I get into law school?

• A cumulative undergraduate grade point average (UGPA) of at least a B (3 on a 4-point scale);
• LSAT (Law School Admissions Test) score in the 50th percentile or above–this is a score of approximately 151 or more on a scale of 120 to 180–as well as an acceptable LSAT writing sample;
• Strong letters of recommendation; and
• A personal statement from the applicant explaining why his or her interests, employment and/or life experiences make the applicant a desirable member of a law school’s student body.

The first two characteristics—UGPA and LSAT score—are by far the most important. Different law schools give different weights to these two factors. In some cases a low LSAT score can be offset somewhat by a high UGPA and vice versa.

Law School Admission Council
American Bar Association

What is law school like?

There is an opportunity each fall for University of Indianapolis prelaw students to meet and talk with representatives of from 80 to 100 law schools during the Pre-law Caravan at Indiana University–Bloomington.

What have U of I law graduates done?

Graduates of the University of Indianapolis have attended law school at Yale University, Indiana University–Bloomington, Indiana University–Indianapolis, the University of Akron, the University of Dayton, Stetson University, the University of Toledo, Valparaiso University, Washington University, Notre Dame, Ohio Northern University and Drake University.

Moreover, University of Indianapolis graduates have distinguished themselves academically at law schools with national reputations, including Indiana University–Bloomington (combined J.D. and M.A. program), Indiana University–Indianapolis (law review), and Washington University (editor-in-chief of the law review). After graduation from law school, these U of I alumni and alumnae have served as judicial clerks and as law school faculty, and have worked for such prestigious law firms as Bose, McKinney and Evans in Indianapolis; Lord, Bissel and Brook in Chicago and O'Melveny and Myers in Los Angeles.

© University of Indianapolis • 1400 East Hanna Avenue •  Indianapolis, Indiana 46227 • U.S.A.
    (800)232-8634 •  (317) 788-3216 • history.uindy.edu • graham@uindy.edu